Nashua North's Tori Conrad, left, and Nashua South's Iruka Obinelo (13) will get to square off against each other after all, with this week's North-South games rescheduled for Jan. 31 and Feb. 7. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA — It’s a virtual reality of the last year.

Nothing has been able to escape the impact of the pandemic, including the Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Postponed twice already, the ceremony scheduled for May 22 will be moved to a virtual platform to be released that day.

The Hall of Fame committee met last week and explored a few options – keep things as is, perhaps move it to a late June date for an outside ceremony, or go with a virtual platform that can include interviews, etc. with the inductees.

The Hall of Fame was resurrected by Nashua athletic director Lisa Gingras and committee meetings have been held for two-plus years that included planning, accepting nominations and voting on nominees.

The first induction ceremony in 20 years was originally scheduled for last May 9, then postponed obviously due to COVID. It was rescheduled for this past Oct. 22, but postponed again until May 22. But due to precautions, an in-person, public ceremony was really not an option, due to “the continued uncertainty of the limitations on large in-person gatherings,” the committee said in a statement.

And, after having the ceremony postponed twice, the uncertainty surrounding the future steered the committee toward a virtual ceremony rather than coming up with a third induction date.

“Given the continued situation in our community, the state, and the world amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee decided it was time to recognize the 11 inductees rather than postpone again to an unknown date,” Gingras said.

Gingras added that funds from all sponsorships and program ads will be used toward expenses of awards and the virtual program.

The next induction will be in May 2023, and remaining money will be used for that. Money from ticket purchases will be refunded within the next few weeks.

The 11 inductees to be honored are Farley Gates, contributor and student-athlete; Al Savage, contributor; Bob DeMello (posthumously), coach; Mark Russell (posthumously), student-athlete; Kole Ayi, student-athlete; Amy Ruston, student-athlete; Laura Gerraughty, student-athlete; John Schroeder, student-athlete; Kendall Reyes, student-athlete; Brad Zapenas, student-athlete; Trevor Knight, student-athlete.

More details, including how the public can view the May 22 virtual induction, will be released at a later date.

BACK TO PRACTICE

Today is the day Nashua North and South athletic teams are slated to return to practice after being on a virus-related, precautionary pause for two weeks.

They won’t be able to play games until a week from today, Jan. 26. And don’t forget, most have been out a while since practices ended just before Christmas.

“We’re looking forward to getting back out on the court,” said South girls hoop coach John Bourgeois, adding a local trainer had the players do remote workouts to keep up some conditioning. But there’s nothing like being on the court.

“It’s been 26 days, so it will definitely be a challenge in terms of conditioning and getting back to our fundamentals,” Bourgeois said. “We’re just happy to be back and certainly don’t take anything for granted.”

NORTH VS. SOUTH RESCHEDULINGS

Thanks to that pause, games between the North and South basketball teams, among other sports, were originally cancelled.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, the boys teams will tangle at Nashua North at 2 p.m., while the girls teams will play at 4 p.m. at South. Thankfully the times are different so livestreams can be watched separately rather than have the games take place simultaneously. Remember, only home fans are allowed, even though it’s two Nashua teams competing.

Then the rematches will be set for Sunday, Feb. 7. The boys varsity game will be at 1 p.m. at South and the girls will play at 2:30 p.m. at North.

The North-Souhegan and South-Pelham hockey teams will square off on Monday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m., their only meeting of the season, at Conway Arena. It will be the Saber-Titans home game.

North-South wrestling, which was originally scheduled for this Wednesday, will now be held next Monday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at South’s Belanger Gym – as of now. Also on that day will be North-South skiing at Pat’s Peak, according to the schools’ schedule.

BEDFORD GIRLS TOUGH FOE

It’s not a news flash that the Bedford High School girls basketball team will be a perrenial tough opponent for the Bishop Guertin Cardinals. But that will definitely last the next four seasons (including this one), thanks to Bulldogs 6-2 freshman Lana McCarthy, who had 18 points in this past Sunday’s great game won by BG, 69-64.

“She’s a heckuva player, boy, I’ll tell you,” Cards coach Brad Kreick said. “She’s a freshman, she’s the real deal.”

So is Guertin sophomore Meghan Stack, who was in foul trouble in the first half and made a big difference in the second.

“She’s a very good defender,” Kreick said of Stack. “So having her length and savy on (McCarthy) was obviously helpful for us.”

That’s a battle to watch the next couple of years for sure.

(Note: Telegraph staff writer Tom King is also a member of the Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame Committee)

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